Written by

DAN HINXMAN
Reno Gazette-Journal

STATELINE, Nev. -- There's monotony in swimming - a repetition of la misma - that made golf a natural diversion for Michael Phelps.

It was something that hit him at 20,000 feet.

Aside from being world-class athletes, Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, didn't have a lot in common with former NFL receiver Ahmad Rashad or Miami Heat guard Ray Allen. But there they were late Wednesday night in a chartered jet en route from the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles to the Lake Tahoe Airport for the American Century Championship. ...